Spy
by platlinum
Summary: Zachary Goode just returned from a 4 month mission just to find that his wife is away on one...and she's declared MIA. Will he find her? Or will that honeymoon be the last time that he'll ever see his Gallagher girl again? / Rated T because paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, first fanfiction I ever wrote. I'm not the best writer. Tell me where I can improve!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

**Zach**

15 minutes. 15 minutes until I can see Cammie again. I leaned my head back on the blue airplane seats and closed my eyes. 15 minutes until I can see her eyes, her smile...her.

I left a couple days after we got married. _Married._ I stare at the silver band on my ring finger and smile. I'm _married. _To _Cameron Morgan, _well, Cameron Goode now. I smirk at the thought. Cameron Goode.

I've been away for 4 months with Grant Newman on a mission to save Government files. It was full of action, it was threatening and thrilling. There were too many people we had to kill, but it was our job. It was the only thing to keep innocent lives safe. I frowned at the memory. I could still feel the cool metal against my hands with the familiar weight I've known since I was a student at Blackthorn. The thought makes me sad because bad guys have people they care about too.

_Preparing for landing, please fasten your seatbelts._

That voice irritates me. It's mechanical and supposedly calming- not to me. It sounded like death because when things sound calming with a forced smile, it means death. I hate airplanes. Grant nudges me with his foot and I look over.

"You ready?" I frowned.

"For what?"

"We've been away a long time." He stares at me. I stare at the seat in front of me.

"I'm ready to go home."

"Me too, Goode. Me too."

Five minutes.

* * *

I twist the key one more time and throw open the door expecting Cammie to be on the couch. Or not.

"Cammie?" My voice reverberates through the house.

"Cammie?" I say, louder this time. When there's no reply, I get worried. I run up the stairs, 3 at a time. I open the office door, nope. Bathroom? Nothing. Bedroom? No one. In fact, everything in the house looks polished, like no one's been living here. I crush a thought forming in the back of my head, no, she has habits. I just never see them because Macey is always over, I smile. But actually, where is she?

I whip out my phone and dial the one number I've memorized for 4 years.

"_Hello, you've reached Cameron Goode. I cannot answer at the moment, please leave a message and I'll reply as soon as possible. Thank you." _

I glared at the phone, willing Cammie to pick up. I hated automatic messages. I tried a different one.

"_Agent 1654872, Morgan is away at the moment. Leave a message."_

Unbelievable. She has two phones and she answers neither. What could she be possibly doing? I punch some more numbers in. Pick up, pick up.

"Hello?"

"Liz! Finally!" I run my fingers through my hair in relief.

"Oh, hi Zach!"

"Hey, I was just wondering if you're with Cammie at the moment?"

"Er.." There was a long silence and I realized she wasn't going to say anything without prompting.

"What." She's hiding something.

"They didn't notify you, I'm guessing?" I also hate people that don't get to the point.

"Notify me of what?" I say, my irritation clearly showing.

"Cammie's away on a mission. She left 17 days after you did. Funny, she was in the same country as you, I thought you would've seen her. You see, Jonas and I sent a message to Grant and he received it, I don't know why you haven't gotten it…" She trailed off. Cammie's what!? Where!? I am going to murder him for not telling me. Worry pumped through my veins and I wondered what she was doing right now. Hopefully coming home.

"Great. Anything else you're not telling me?" I ask jokingly wondering what else there could possibly be that would be worse than that.

"She was supposed to be back 33 days ago." She said in a whisper.

Then I dropped the phone.

**A/N: Hey, should I continue the story or just leave it as a one shot? R&amp;R please :) -J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Do people even read these? Thank you for all the kind reviews on my first chapter yesterday! You have definitely made it easier to decide if I should continue or leave it. I'm continuing. A really fast chapter so sorry if it's sloppy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls or anything associated with it. I only own the plot which is hopefully not copyrighted. All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

In the last 24 hours, there have been 102 phone calls, 17 cups of coffee, 74 minutes of arguing and still nothing about Cammie's whereabouts. The gang relocated their headquarters to my kitchen and living area and we're all restless and exhausted. Grant and I have gotten into one little argument but it was settled. Apparently, the reason why he never told me is because I would've gotten distracted and sloppy in my work. I had no counter argument to that.

"I can't believe we haven't found anything yet." I say as I take a sip from my 4th coffee. At the beginning, we've all been drinking our coffees with 2 creams and one sugar but now we're just drinking it black. Bitter. Disgusting. Awakening. "When did you guys start looking?"

"We started looking for her 2 weeks before you came back. We weren't really concerned at first because it was a difficult mission so we gave her about the same time that you had but she didn't get back on time." Macey stared into her cup.

"This was the hardest we've worked since we started looking. You couldn't have made it back before Cammie. She was supposed to come home first and she never makes mistakes so we don't understand this." Nick pitches in.

"We will find her, right?" I confirm.

"Who do you think we are, idiots?"

I look at Liz and Jonas who haven't said a word since they entered 24 hours ago. They're looking at their screens intently with a few taps here and there. Every now and then they'd show each other a new development and drink from their cups with a grimace. I take Cammie's mission folder and go through it again. There was something off about this.

"Guys, did she go by herself or…"

"This other guy went with her." Bex said without looking up from her laptop.

"Who was this guy?" Macey laughed.

"Look, if you're jealous that" I cut her off.

"I'm not jealous. I'm wondering if _he_ came back." Okay, maybe just a little jealous but they don't need to know that.

"No, he didn't come back."

"Then why aren't we looking for him also? Wouldn't it be rude if we just looked for Cammie and not the other guy?" Bex turned in her seat and looked at me.

"This other guy, he was a nobody in the agency. He just got out of training and some leader paired him up with Cammie. Probably because he stunk and they wanted to get rid of him."

"Why would they pair a lowly ranked agent with a highly ranked one?"

"Beats me." I swished the black coffee around in my cup and absentmindedly flipped through pages. No, that fact was still bothering me. I took the mission file and walked over to Liz and Jonas.

"Liz. Jonas." They jumped in their seats at the same time. Computer geniuses and they're still jumpy at people saying their names.

"Oh, hey Zach." Jonas was the first to speak.

"I need you to do thorough research on the guy Cammie was paired up with. Is that possible?"

"It's possible, but I thought that we didn't need to worry about him because he's a lowly ranked agent?" Liz eyebrows come together.

"That's exactly the fact that's bothering me."

"We'll be glad to do it. Need something that isn't boring anyways." Jonas says. I give them a grateful smile.

"Thanks. Tell me if there's anything." I make my way back to the living room and they're all looking at me.

"What?"

"You are so jealous." Macey says with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile. I rolled my eyes. Idiots.

"No, he's just sketchy."

"Jealous."

"Sketchy."

"Jealous."

"Sket—"

"Guys. Just shut up." Grant looks at us annoyed.

"Not until you and Bex stop giving each other puppy eyes. God. Go kiss or something." I have to laugh at this.

"Macey, where's Preston." She sighs. "Political issues on his end. He barely has time for a phone call anymore."

We sit in silence for a couple more hours each of us letting out exasperated sighs every now and then. Liz and Jonas' soft clicking makes it bearable. I was about to make a comment about the coffee flavour until I get interrupted by sudden furiously fast typing. We all snap out of whatever reverie we're in and run over to their work area.

"What is it?" I ask curiously, trying not to seem too excited. When in fact, I was so excited. Liz moves her blonde head the slightest distance.

"You'll never _believe_ what we found."

**A/N: BAM. Cliffy. Haha this chapter was so bad. I can't continue this if you guys don't keep reading. R&amp;R please. -J**


	3. Chapter 3

**DancingQueen555: Thank you for your kind words! And I can't believe people still read these. *scrunches nose* that was such a bad chapter...as will this one be. It's written too vague! But thank you so much, I love you!**

**ComeWithMeAndCatchTheStars: Wow, thank you!**

**Okay, so this will be longer chapter. It's unedited so please, ****_please_**** ignore any mistakes. I typed it up fast because I wanted to give you guys an update and (hopefully) finish this story by the time school starts so it's not sitting here. Besides, I'm excited for the plot forming in my head! Thank you for reviewing and reading. You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

"Is this on Zach's jealousy problem?" Macey asks, bored.

"It's not a jealousy problem!" I can't believe they think it's a jealousy problem. Okay, maybe just a little bit. Not the point here, not the point.

"Whatever you say, Zach." She turns to Liz and Jonas "So, what's the dirt on this guy?" Liz exchanges a glance at Jonas and he speaks up.

"This guy is called Mason Heightener. He's 5'11. Blonde hair, brown eyes, right ear piercing and he has a 'C' tattooed on his wrist. He has one sister but she's been reported missing for the past 5 years. There are no records on his past. He has a fairly high IQ but we can't seem to find his tests. He used to be a Blackthorn student and the fishy part is- he has no records." He taps a few buttons and the guy's picture, tattoo, ear piercing and close up shot comes up on separate display screens.

"Wait, so he's working in the same building as us and he has no records of his past, training, scores or anything?" Nick looks shocked.

"Only people that don't have records have something to hide." They exchange conversation but I was staring intently at the picture of the tattoo on Jonas' screen. Where have I seen that before? Their voice dissolve as I put my full attention on it.

"ZACH." I whip my head around to the voice.

"What, Grant."

"What are you thinking about? I said your name 3 times already."

"It's that tattoo…" I scratch my head "I know I've seen it before."

"Liz says it's one of a kind though."

"No, it can't be. I've definitely seen it."

"Zach, I know you're worried about Cammie, we all are, but I don't think this tattoo means anything."

"But what if it does?" He sighs.

"If you want to spend time thinking about that, that's fine. But it's bed time for the rest of us. I tell ya, it's nothing to be worried about. Get some sleep, it's been 27 hours." He pats me on the back and makes his way into the living room. Jonas takes the first screen watch. What a gentleman.

I go upstairs with my thoughts heavy and crash in the master bedroom. I'm about to sleep when I make the mistake of looking at the pillow next to mine. Cammie. Well, sleep might as well be useless now. I walk to the room across the hall, our office. There are two desks on either side of the room, across from each other. Cammie's had hers stacked with paper. The walls behind the desks had personal bulletin boards filled with to-do lists and pictures. The one farthest from the door had a world map and a magnetic board. I draw my eyebrows together at the multiple red pins on the map. Those were destination points, but for what purpose?

I hastily search through the papers on Cammie's desk, desperate for an answer. Nothing. Desktop? I try her computer and crack the password easily with a smirk. That was too easy. I come across a folder labeled "Mason Heightener" and immediately click on it. I tried the password 7 times before it let me access it. I scan through his profile document and click on a different document. On this document there were different angles of his tattoo and I _knew_ that I wasn't wrong suspecting this tattoo. But why did Cammie have his folder on her computer? She only researches subjects she suspects or she has to follow.

_File created 5 months, 6 days ago._

_Last modified 4 months, 39 days ago._

The next document was a series of true codes. I was debating if I should spend time trying to do this again or just hand it over to either Jonas or Liz since they deal with this every day. Yeah, I'm handing it over. The next document was in morse code. Why, Cammie. These were important, but I want to know why there are 32 destination points on the map.

I'm in the middle of reading a document written in transposition code when a light knock jolts me out of the coding world.

"Hey, Jonas."

"Hi Zach. Since I realized you were still awake, would you like some black coffee?" He holds out the cup to me. I didn't even realize how tired I was until I closed my eyes and took a sip.

"Thanks man."

"No problem." He was about to leave when I remembered the codes.

"Wait, Jonas."

"Yeah?" He looks over, worried.

"I found some documents in true code on Cammie's computer. I think it may be important." His eyes light up as I say that. "Do you think you can translate it? I mean, you don't have to, I just thought that you'd do it faster than I ever could."

"I'd be so excited to!"

"Great." I stand up to give him my chair and stretch my back. God, my back.

"One moment. I need to grab my laptop." He says as he walks out of the room. Laptop? Doesn't he have like 6 computers here already? I will never understand this. I hear a loud crash and a swear. I laugh, is that Jonas? I jog down the stairs to see Jonas on his back, laptop clutched to his chest and Bex standing over him with an angry glare.

"Jonas, you idiot." She spits as she takes her foot off him and the lights come on.

"Why on earth would you do that?" He asks, rubbing his head.

"That's your fault for sneaking across the house like a kidnapper." She shrugs. "Maybe be more careful next time. Hey speaking of which, why _were_ you sneaking across the house like a kidnapper?"

"I was going to get to laptop to help Zach with something. How was I supposed to know you had a 6th sense even when you were sleeping!?" I can't help but mentally laugh at the scene before me.

"Bex, let him off easy. He was just trying to help me."

"I wasn't aware that Zachary Goode needed help with being good."

"Bex, I fight well , coding is not my forte."

"What did you need his help with that he had to be sneaking around?"

"I wasn't sneaking." He mumbles, trying to defend himself.

"Shut up, Jonas."

"I found a folder on Cammie's desk labeled Mason Heightener and there were some documents written in true code, so I was going to borrow Jonas."

"You found a folder of a guy that has the potential to matter and you didn't even wake us up?"

"Well, you guys made it pretty obvious that he _didn't_ matter."

"We have no new developments, anything and everything matters." I rolled my eyes at this.

"Come with Jonas and I if you want, then."

I stand behind Jonas as he deciphers the document. I pick out a few things here and there. I'm about to leave when something catches my eye. Circle of Cavan. Catherine Goode. My eye shifts and I see the HD picture of the tattoo. I get a flashback to when I was 6.

_"__Mommy, what is this shape?"_

_"__Darling, it's a C."_

_"__Why is it so fancy?"_

_"__Because C's are made to be fancy."_

_"__Just like you, mommy. Catherine starts with C. Zachary has a C in it too! Mommy, am I fancy?"_

_"__Darling you're so fancy."_

The C. The tattoo. Circle of Cavan. The safe houses. Pyrenees Mountains. Sri Lanka. Tokyo. I look up at the map. Pyrenees Mountains, check. Sri Lanka, check. Tokyo, check. Slowly I piece everything together and you know that feeling when you've got the puzzle and you're almost finished, then you realize you're missing a couple pieces? That's the feeling I have as I realize how scary this situation is.

"Guys." I try to say it without worry, but my voice cracks.

"Zach, are you okay?" Bex looks at me.

"I just figured out that the tattoo is the first copy of the Circle of Cavan symbol." I see Bex's face pale and Jonas slowly turns in his seat. "And the document said something about safe houses, I picked up a few locations and they're pin pointed exactly on Cammie's map."

"But didn't we take down the Circle of Cavan? _And_ that woman?" She questions

"Then figure out why he's still here. I _know_ for a fact that tattoo parlors don't give out that tattoo for a couple hundred dollars." Bex swallows.

"This is really bad." She whispers.

**A/N: So, whatdya think? Is it crazy enough yet? Or do I need to stop trying to write like this. What's going to happen? Hmmm..I know but you donnn'tttt. Haha, as always, R&amp;R- you know I can't keep writing this if you don't keep reading :) -J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sjmango: alkgjakfe thannnkkksssss. You're awesome!**

**Sophie: How convenient, I happen to ****_love_**** cliff hangers :)**

**Okay, so I rewrote this chapter 4 times and I still hate it. I'm so ready to punch a wall but you guys need an update, correct? Here it is. It's unedited and gross and the plot's no good and ugGGGHHH. *pulls hair out***

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

It didn't even look like a house the next morning. As soon as Bex, Jonas and I had a vague idea of what the situation might've been, we told everyone and all hell broke loose. Even Macey believed us on this one.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…zoom in." Macey's voice cut through the clicking of keys.

"What do you see, Macey?" Comes Bex's tired voice.

"His earring does _not_ look real."

"You're joking, right?"

"I'm being serious!"

"It's not even a big deal! It's a 10K diamond stud earring, what else do you want from it!?"

"Wait, Liz. Right there. A little bit more to the left though. Wait, let me do it."

Liz looked reluctant to have Macey touch her computer but she stood up anyways. Macey adjusted the zoom and stared at it for a few minutes

"Well, that's different."

"What." Bex practically wants to claw her.

"It's one of those earrings with a camera installed in it."

"What?"

"Yeah, see the small black dot that looks like a dirt speck on the centre of the cut? That's where it is. The camera sends live feed somewhere."

We all looked at each other with blank faces. Why did he have one of those?

"Want to bet it's related to The Circle?" Nick volunteers out of nowhere.

"Want to bet he's sending live feed to The Circle?" Grant adds. My insides clench with worry.

"So if we're assuming that the earring is sending live feed to The Circle, and Mason is somehow connected to it…" Nick trails off.

"Then we're screwed." I finish.

* * *

20 minutes later, we're all sitting in the office space upstairs. Our blue destination points overlay Cammie's red destination points. I let my fingers graze them gingerly, knowing her fingers have as well. We'll get you back, Cammie. _I'll_ get you back. Jonas and Liz are hacking into every government site trying to find information on Mason Heightener because apparently, no file really goes away, even if you delete it. Macey was coming up with our covers for sneaking in. 3 covers each, she says. Bex, Nick and Grant are trying to make a foolproof plan. Me? Well, I was supposed to be resting. I will not rest until I get her home.

_Objectives:_

_-Capture Mason and make him talk_

_-Crash COC headquarters and kill_

_-Make sure it's the last time we'll ever see them again. On or off the grid._

"Guys, I just got a genius thought."

"Really, Nick?"

"Seriously."

"Okay, well, let's hear your genius thought."

"Okay, so the deal is, Cammie got paired up with Mason and that's not a coincidence at all because when you think about it, if he is with the Circle, they've only been after you and Cammie. Mainly Cammie. But it was just for the list, so the question is, what do they want with her now?" We all sit in silence. "Also," He adds "The head who paired them together to work on this might've known something. I think we should do a search on him and find out who he is."

Grant looks like he just swallowed something sour.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. The partnering for this mission- if it's even a mission, was not a coincidence but we don't know what The Circle wants with her yet and the guy who paired them up is fishy." Grant looks at Nick.

"Those are my thoughts."

"You do realize that we're researching a main figure head in this company."

"Yes, Bex, I know."

"And you do realize that if we find proof, we _will_ have to kill him." She leans in. "If it concerns The Circle, we're killing him." She leans out of his flustered face.

"Yes! I know! Can we just test that theory!?" The response he gets is Liz and Jonas setting up new folders and the rest of us changing positions. That theory is the most ridiculous, uncalculated, most perfect explanation I've heard. I just hope the pieces are filled in quickly.

"Zach." I turn my head in the direction of the sound. It's Grant. "Get some sleep. You've been awake too long and coffee isn't going to help anymore."

I wanted to say I wasn't tired but a yawn came out of my mouth and he looked at me with an "I told you so" look. I lay awake for a few hours, running memories over in my head. When my eyelids started to feel heavy, I let myself sleep.

"Zach!" I wake up immediately. Looking at the clock next to me, I see that I have only slept two hours. Before I wasn't sleepy at all, now I just can't get enough.

"What is it?" I ask, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"We got this unidentified video, we're going to watch it, c'mon!" That was all it took to get me out of bed.

"Where is it!?"

"Here."

We gather around the screen and Liz clicks 'play.' It's blurry at first but then it focuses. Our eyes expertly scan the polished slate walls. There was nothing. Just an empty room. Suddenly a person with blonde hair steps into camera view. Mason. The silence in the room was so loud, all you could hear were the gears turning in our heads, but we didn't dare to say anything in case we missed an important detail. A sneer paints his face and he laughs lowly.

"So, some of the top spies in the world haven't got this figured out yet, do they?" He laughs again. I hate that laugh. "You guys are pretty dumb, in fact. You haven't caught me yet." He shrugs as he says that and checks his watch. "Don't you remember me?"

Remember him? Remember him from what? Almost simultaneously, our foreheads get creases in them and we silently beg the video to go on. As if on cue, he leans into the camera.

"Does the name…Derek Hayner ring a bell, perhaps?" Realization dawns on us and we gasp. Derek Hayner was a guy we were supposed to catch during a mission, but we never did. It was one of the most tainted things on our records. He looked different than before. He used to have bleached white hair with a single black streak in it, piercings in his eyebrow, lip and nose. He was the total 'bad boy' image. To say it short, he haunts all of our dreams. Heightener, Hayner…how could we be so stupid!? He knows. He knows we're murdering him with our eyes.

"I've got one more surprise for you guys." He says. If it was meant to be enlightening, it came out taunting. He snaps his fingers and two black figured men carry a girl with dishwasher brown hair in. She was blindfolded and gagged. Cammie. Everyone tenses up at the sight. Her head is down and her body looks pale and lifeless. Oh god, Cammie.

"Not so Gallagher Girl anymore, is she?" He laughs cruelly. I flinch at the use of my nickname for her. "She put up quite a fight now, this one." He goes on, tsking. "Oh, sorry, you guys don't have a good enough view." The camera zooms in and it takes every ounce of self control not to kill the screen. I will kill him. I will find him, and I _will_ kill him.

There's the sound of clicking soles against the concrete floor. High heels. He has an accomplice. Brilliant red hair comes into view and it takes everything not to fall off my chair.

"Well, hello there." The woman says in her silvery voice.

**A/N: Oooh, what happens next? I have half of the next chapter ready, should get it to you fast...or I could just give it to you whenever I feel like. The second option sounds good, doesn't it? R&amp;R, I need yoouuuu. -J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okaaaay, I'm SO sorry for the wait. Stupid writers block can go die in a hole. I'm really not confident about this chapter so...tell me what you think? Yeah? As usual, it's unedited and I'm going to kill something now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't know anything except the plot. All rights go to Ally Carter.**

* * *

I can't believe it. It's my supposedly dead, terrorist mother. Well, if you could call her my mother.

"Surprised?" She drawled. "Such a shame that you didn't know I knew every single one of those passageways. At the last moment I decided I didn't want to die so I escaped. Rookies." She takes a step towards Cammie and draws a gun. My breath hitches in my throat. She puts it against Cammie's temple and at this point, we're all squirming in our heads, our nails marking our skin. As soon as we hear the bullet click into place, we lunge at the screen. Each pitch of "no" colliding together into perfect terror, but she takes her hand off the trigger.

"I got you there, didn't I?" She laughs an evil laugh. All I hear is the pounding of my heart. "You want her? Go find her." She shoots Cammie's arm and the screen goes black.

We sit in stunned silence at the scene that just happened before us, replaying everything we wished we didn't see. Bex was the first one to have the courage to speak.

"Trace the address. _Now_." Liz and and Jonas immediately go. "Okay, we need to go."

"Oh, okay. So, we're just going to strut in there and scour the place for Cammie and punch out whoever's in our way, right?" Grants being sarcastic but he's right. We can't do anything until have every guard post, every code and every blueprint memorized. She glares at him and walks out, wiping fresh tears with the back of her hand, slamming the door being her.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asks.

"Dude, you're so clueless." Nick laughs. Grant makes a move towards the door but Macey stops him.

"Don't even go out there if you're not planning to end up in the hospital." He shrinks back. Even a combat trained spy can't handle Bex's wrath when she's upset. Suddenly he straightens up.

"I'm going."

"Are you crazy."

"I think so…"

"What kind of crazy? Mental?"

"Just crazy in love."

We look at each other with pointed faces saying 'I knew it.' As soon as the door clicks Macey's face breaks out into a smile.

"I so knew that was going to happen. He so liked her from the first time they met. Well, got to go cancel those blind dates I set up for Bex now." She says with a smile.

"Okay, so we definitely need a new plan considering Cath—that woman is holding Cammie in a slate cell. Concrete floors. Let's try to recall every detail from that video and work out something." We were all surprised by Liz's voice suddenly filling up the room.

"I was actually recording the video while it was playing so you guys can play it if you want."

"Thanks, Liz."

"No problem." A moment of silence passes before I speak up.

"Okay, let's get to work." We each grab our own laptop and go into detective mode. Why am I the one who has to do research on the head of the department? Stupid Mr. Setwrin. His file is too clean. I'm stretching out my back when my nearly closed eye catches a word that sends a thousand alerts into my mind…Winters. I quickly sit up and scan the page. I peek at Macey who was deeply immersed into whatever information she was reading. Should I tell her that her finance's last name showed up on the document? No, Zach. Find out what it is first. I hack into the CIA classified within a couple minutes and sit with a satisfied grin. Let's see if I can do this neatly. I find the name R. T. Setwrin and click. I groan as I get greeted with a page written in true code. Weakness. Okay, Zach. Focus. My eyes carefully scan the rows of green letters. Suddenly, I catch a break in the coding and re-read it. That's sketchy. I find a couple more breaks when that's enough to bother Jonas…again.

"What is it?"

"I was reading through Setwrin's classified file and found a couple of breaks. It's suspicious but I don't know what it means. Could you tell me?" As soon as I finish that sentence, 3 heads turn to our direction, eager to find out something…anything. Jonas punches a few keys and he looks up with an "I knew it" face. He looks up.

"What." I'm impatient. He knows that.

"Looks like Mr. Setwrin's had a name change. And an edited background section."

We all stare at him, gears turning.

"So, Mr. Setwrin's not who he says he is." I confirm.

"Right."

"Who is he if he's not the mighty and just Mr. Setwrin?" Jonas gets a mischevious grin on his face.

"Want to hack into some classified sites?"

-line break-

"Uhm, guys?"

"Yeah Macey?"

"I just found Preston's surname on Setwrin's file." Crap. I instantly sit up.

"Uh, yeah, Macey. I saw it earlier."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I didn't know what the relation was so I never bothered to bring it up."

"Could've at least said _something_."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Well it sure wasn't going to make me happy by not telling me." I was about to fire back something when the front door opens and Bex and Grant are coming in with their fingers laced together. They've got it figured out. Grant was half limping but the smile on his face could repair any damage.

"What were you guys fighting about? This might be a soundproof house but if you guys can penetrate that, you should keep it on the down low."

"Don't worry about it, Bex. Liz, do you have the location yet?"

"Oh, yeah! Pyrenees Mountains. 42.664280, 0.999357. Alt Aneu, Spain."

"Great. Do they have a signal?"

"Yeah, level 2."

"Hack it. Find out security, camera locations and blueprints. Rest of us will further research Setwrin. We'll do switch napping."

We get to work immediately. Location was a plus but knowing my mother, there were going to be traps surrounding it within a 4 mile radius. _Hang in there Cammie, I'll find you soon_. After 6 hours of endless clicking, pages flipping and pens scratching, we finally get a plan that is hopefully flawless. We have the blueprint sheet taped against the wall and the smell of whiteboard markers lingers in the air. The natural lighting makes our faces look hallowed and the shadows beneath our eyes are like pits. We're all sleep deprived and living off a coffee and raw vegetables diet. Macey prints the last of her pages and grabs the 21 red file folders off the table and hands 3 each to us.

"Study up your covers and we'll leave tomorrow. Let's run through the plan one more time."

We're in the middle of debating a station switch when a fast knock on the front door makes us clam up.

"What do we do?" Liz asks.

"Take the blueprint down, _now_! Turn the whiteboard around and act like we're having a meeting!" Bex whisper shouts. We do as ordered and are careful to flip over the sheets that have the CIA logo on it, and replace our screens with the backup document we always have on hand. The impatient knock raps against the chestnut wood again.

"Coming!" Grant yells and walks towards the front door. We sit with pens in hand, gathered around the coffee table in a business manner—hopefully. Grant swings open the door and we look up in a curious manner, however, the four people standing at the door made us all freeze.

"Bloody hell." Bex manages to get out.

I don't think we've known true terror until this moment.

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**A/N: Honestly, the best part about this chapter was the ending. What do you want to happen next? Seriously. Writers block full on mode right now. I had to force this chapter. Gonna go cry now. R&amp;R although there's nothing really to read. Tell me if I should just end this quick or continue :) -J**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyo, I'm back! Thanks for all the reviews and so sorry for the slow update! I wrote an extra long chapter to make it up to you guys. I really don't know what to think about this chapter so...take a read! As usual, it's unedited and disgusting. At first it was a filler chapter but then it turned into...this...You guys are quite funny. You guessed the mysterious four characters really fast! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Gallagher Girls, only the plot. Ally Carter has all rights.**

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I gulped at the four intimidating figures at my doorway, anger clearly evident on their faces. I was terrified. That's a bad thing. I'm Zachary Goode, I'm not supposed to get terrified and show it. I was supposed to be good. The best. I finally found the courage to risk a few words.

"Hey, ah…Joe, Mrs. Mor—Solomon, Abby, Town—I er, I mean dad." I was stuttering, I can't stutter. I looked to Grant standing by the wall, cowarding into the corner and saw Bex and Macey paled. The most fearless people I knew were scared at the moment. I can only imagine what they were here to yell at us about. What was it?

"Zachary." Joe snarls. Oh snap. He never called me by my full first name. It's always been "Zach." Cammie's mom, Mrs. Rachel Solomon nee Morgan, was glaring at me with a hard glare, a look of dispproval. One earned from many years of being headmistress of a spy school. Abby had hard features on her face that I couldn't read and my dad…my dad that had just entered my life not too long ago…he had the "you're going to get it" fatherly face. They were all directed to me at first glance but they slowing roam around to the others. The palm of my hand was sweating. I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I'm not—oh hell. I was scared.

"Uhh…won't you come in?" I offer from my position at the cough, trying to stop the trembling in my hands. I put down the file folder and stood up. "So, what brings you all here?" They walk in—actually, strolled in. The practiced, smooth and even walk of a good spy. They're angry but their presence isn't angry…that's the terrifying part. Can't they yell already!? They sit in the sofa across from me, beside Nick and Macey. We squirm internally under the pressured scowling faces. Please yell.

"So what we're here for is to actually discuss with you the confidentiality of CIA information." Uh oh. "Don't even try to lie to us about the fact that you hacked into the _classified_ files and got information on the director and a fellow member." Rachel purses her lips together. You can clearly see the lines of stress of her face. She turned her head the slightest. "You guys are top agents here. You've taken your training. Hacking into the CIA is not permitted."

"But it wasn't supposed to be traceable!" Liz started to protest. That was a first. She was usually the quiet one. The one I'd put my finger on to protest was either Macey or Bex.

"Elizabeth Sutton, perhaps you have forgotten that Joe was doing the monitoring this week." Townsend…my dad says condescendingly. A look of horror crosses her face.

"Do I even _want_ to know what you were doing, looking at files of the director and an agent named Mason Heightener?" Joe says with eyebrows raised.

"How do you even know that?" Macey asked harshly, questionably, innocently. Usually when they're monitoring, they can only see that someone's hacked it. They can't see the information they're accessing. Joe discretely glances at the computer screens but they must've caught it because they slam their screens down with red faces. _Caught_. He catches sight of the turned over white paper on the table. To the normal eye, it looks like office paper. To the trained eye, it's hidden information. He slowly pinches the corner of every sheet and turns it over. He picks up the file folder I was holding when he first came in and looks in it. _Red handed_. He leans back in his spot and he gives the others a shared look. One I don't understand. Joe nods at Abby and she comes forward, leaning her elbows on her knees.

"What we gather is that you're doing research on Mason Heightener. The guy that went on the mission with Cammie. Correct?" She didn't wait for an answer. She knew. "And it seems that you're doing research on the guy that put them on the mission together. You're curious, aren't you. You're questioning why they would be put together. A low ranked agent and an elite agent." She pauses. "This low ranked agent is very promising. Top of the training class. Always. He wanted a chance on this mission and the director saw it through. Okay?" Her professional tone made me want to strangle something.

"Next time, I suggest you don't be so stupid…unless you want to get suspended." My dad's eyes look at everyone but once they land on me, he raises his eyebrows the slightest saying "I want to talk with you." That's it. I couldn't handle this.

"Cammie's MIA right now, do you not care!?" Wrong time to have an outburst I thought, as their eyes narrowed at me.

"Of course we care. We just choose not to be _stupid _about it." My dad doesn't get it.

"I'm not being _stupid_. I'm just trying to get her back!" All the anger I bottled up is shattering now.

"This useless research won't help! You think we haven't tried either!? We did. There's nothing. Right now we wait. The CIA's on it. Don't be stupid." Joe has been right all my life, but right now he's not right. I was just about to snap at him when my dad interrupts me.

"Zachary Goode. A word please." I obediently follow my dad outside to the balcony. He leans against the rail and stares at the buildings in the distance. I stand with my arms crossed. After 2 minutes, I can't stand it anymore. "What." I spat. He looks at me with his dark eyes, like mine.

"Zach, I know you guys haven't even started your life together but I need you to be prepared."

"Prepared for what." I ask even though I know. I just don't want to think about it.

"The status of KIA." Killed in action. I can't stand it. I feel something burning in my eyes, no, Zachary Goode does not cry. A tense silence follows.

"She's not going to." I manage to croak out.

"There's no hope, Zach. We've searched. Rachel and Abby are torn. Joe is dying on the inside though he doesn't show it and I know you are too." He says and he looks at me with a knowing glance.

"Dad." It's the second time I've said that out loud to him, I've just thought it all the other times. I couldn't get over the shock of learning he was my biological father, when all I've known was my crazy mother. He turns his head towards me. His heart is flying. I can tell with the twitch in his lip, threatening to break out in a toothy grin.

"What is it?" He's interested. I have to tell him.

"But there is hope." His eyebrows furrowed as if he was waiting for my bad news. How does he know. "Unfortunately…there's a down side." I say.

"What is it, Zach?"

"Catherine's still alive and by the research we did and the evidence we have, Mason is in The Circle, The Circle isn't gone yet….she's still alive." He slowly turns back to the buildings and he clutches the railing so hard his knuckles turn white. I suddenly found the courage to tell him what I felt "Dad, what if we don't get Cammie back. What if she's gone forever, you know what Catherine can do. What if—"

"Zach." He interrupts my ranting. "First off, she's not going to. She's a strong woman. Stay strong for her. And secondly, we don't have proof that Mason is in the circle. We don't have proof that she's still alive. Where is the evidence?" Oh I get it. He thinks I'm being irrational.

"No, we found stuff. Come." I lead my father to the messed up room where three angry adults sit. I take my laptop and open up the file on Mason. Our gang hands the stuff we found to the four spies, drawing a sharp breath when the papers and laptops are ripped out of our hands. They think we're still irrational. We sit and stare at our hands while they go through the files we've collected. After a while I hear someone gasp, I think it's Rachel. Joe meets my eye.

"Go get some sleep. You guys need it." We don't protest but I can't sleep. I roll around. 2:27am. It's too early. I pull out a leather photo album and flip through it. The first picture is an 8x10 matted picture of our wedding photo. We're looking at each other, oblivious to the fact that there's a camera there. Our smiles light up our faces and her silver diamond band stands out against my tanned face and her slightly darkened skin. It was a candid shot but that's what I really liked about it.

I remember the wedding. I was standing at the altar, sweating, waiting. Grant, Nick and Jonas were telling me to calm down, I couldn't hear them. All I heard were my doubtful thoughts. What if I'm not good enough? What if this life isn't meant for us? Then I hear a song playing and the bridesmaids are coming in. I don't pay attention. Grant beside me whistles lightly at the sight of Bex. I'm not looking at her. Then I see her, Cameron Ann Morgan. This is the last time she will be called that. Her dress was pure white and stood out against her tan skin. She wasn't the chameleon today, she was the only one in this crowded room. Her smile is effortless and her eyes are brighter, lighter today…hazel. I feel a grin on my face as I meet her eyes. Beautiful. She took my arm and I finally realized that it was happening.

She was led down the aisle by Joe since her dad was killed by The Circle. Another reason why we need them to be taken down. Joe hands her off with his "take care of her" grin and goes to sit with Rachel, where they each have their own gold bands around their ring finger.

I wasn't listening to a word being said. All I was paying attention to was the lovely woman beside me. Her tanned skin from the long mission we had in Peru, her slightly darkened hair from our latest mission in Europe, her long eyelashes that touched her cheeks when she looked down and her rosy cheeks from…the blush? The excitement of today? Me? She catches my eye in her peripheral vision and maybe if we were still the school kids that met in 11th grade, I would give her a cocky smirk to cover up my embarrassment. But today is my—our wedding day and all I do I smile at her like a idiot schoolboy. She rolls her eyes slightly and I let out a quiet chuckle.

The vows. I pull out the sheet in between the pictures to look at our handwritten vows. I promised her I'd go to France to get the best crème brûlée for her, I'd be her punching bag or sparring partner if she needed one, I'd be her secret keeper, counselor, best friend, husband…anything. I'd protect her from any bullets threatened her way—my eyes started to water as I thought of the gun wound in her arm—that I'd do anything to see her smile—the blindfold around her beautiful eyes and the gag in her mouth—and that I'd rather me die than her because I value hers more than mine. My fingers gingery go over the words in black ink that I had written. Black because it's more formal and sure than blue, Cammie said. I flashback to that one night.

_"Zach! We have to write vows! It's a wedding thing!" I groaned from my position on the couch._

_"Gallagher girl, we just got home from a mission, can't we do it tomorrow?"_

_"No, we have to do it tonight! Tomorrow is our briefing with the director! C'mon, Zach." I feel my arm being yanked and I don't fight. I secretly thought it was cute that she wanted to write vows. As if I wouldn't promise to give her everything. We get to our shared office space and she gives me a piece of cardstock._

_"What, no evaporating paper?"_

_"Obviously not, you wouldn't want to eat your vows, do you? I want you to remember every promise you will make." She hands me a black fountain ink pen._

_"Why black ink?" She always wrote with blue ink._

_"Blue is so informal, Zach. Blue is like the sky, it can change…I don't want us to change." She starts writing and I sit and do the same. It didn't take me long to figure out what I wanted to say. It was easy. She was my life. I look up and see her thinking face._

_"What Gallagher girl, can't think of what I'm worth?"_

_"Zach! Of course not! Just thinking of how to word it…"_

_"Sure you are." I get up and walk behind her, slipping my arms around her waist. She leans into me automatically and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love that. I skim the vows she's written but before I hit the second word she turns around and puts both her hands around me._

_"Don't even think of reading my vows."_

_"Guilty." I mumbled._

_"Sorry for making you write the vows, Zach."_

_"You don't have to be sorry for anything. You know I'd forgive you." I mumble the last part as our lips connected and I pulled her closer to me._

There were teardrops on the cream coloured paper as I remembered that night. As I flipped through the pictures, every memory stood out to me vividly. I would never forget the way anything happened. Our first kiss. First date. First mission. First everything. She was my only thing. I spent 2..maybe 3 hours on the photobook. My internal clock was out of whack from the late nights and jet lag. I flipped to the third-last page and was surprised when I saw the notes I always wrote to her when we were in school. Flipping the last page, I see a note in calligraphed letters on the hard backing of the book. It was the day when we were on a short mission, across the world from where we call home. We were waiting for the target to show up in a café and she wrote it on a napkin.

_Can't wait until we're home. –C_

_Home is where you are. –Z _

Then I lost it. It started with the tremble in my hands. Then it was waterfall of tears. Then I just sat on the floor with my head in my hands and my elbow on my knees crying. Cammie, come back. Come back. _Please._ If not for you, for me. _Please._

A sudden knock on my wall shakes me up, but not that much. My dad walks in with a knowing look on his face and sits down beside me. I grind the heels of my hands into my eyes, desperate to stop the crying.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"You shouldn't see me like this."

"Zach, this is exactly the way I should see you sometimes."

"This isn't even right. I'm not even supposed to—"

"She was a special one, wasn't she?"

"She was. So special."

A comfortable silence washes over us as we sit facing the moon through the big glass French doors onto the personal balcony that Cammie loved.

"We'll find her Zach. Don't worry about it." I shake my head.

"Every day I worry."

"Hang in there." He gets up and leaves but just as he reaches the door he turns back and looks at me. "Joe, Rachel, Abby and I are looking into this. We believe you. And don't worry about getting up tomorrow. Sleep as long as you want. We have extra helpers here and I have a feeling you've been living off coffee the last few days."

He leaves and I pick myself up and walk outside on the balcony with a photobook of our dating days. I'm staring at a close up shot of Cammie when I feel myself slowly fall into slumber…and for the first time, I didn't fight it. My last conscious thought was that one day at the airport when I was leaving on my first mission without Cammie and how she waved….slowly…slowly..fading…I love you…

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**A/N: Sooooo...what do you think? *nervously plays with hands* Should I end it soon or do you guys still like it? Was that a long and stupid chapter or was that actually a good one? I'm sorry if there were any mistakes in my writing. I wanted to update fast for you guys. As usual...R&amp;R. I love your little encouragements and funny comments -J**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'M SO SORRY. I thought I had this uploaded but I didn't and now I feel so bad. SO SORRY. Uhm. This is a boring chapter. Safe to call it a filler chapter. I'm so busy, I don't know how I'm going to do this. I just started school and I'm taking full IB (which may or may not be the worst decision ever) so I'm loaded on homework all the time. Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows from the previous chapter, that means a lot! You don't even have to read this if you don't want to. Again, sorry!**

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I wake up to the unfamiliar smell of fresh air and the light wind caressing my face. Oh right. The balcony. Remembering. Cammie. I'm conscious but I decide that I'm going to let my eyelids rest a while longer. You can only power nap to an extent, you know. Standing, I stretch my muscles in the back and let out a yawn. I fold the photo album and walk back into the room, placing it gently in its vacant slot. Halfway to the door, I decided I needed a change of clothes. I didn't really think anymore. I catch sight of a small picture of Cammie framed on my side table. Cammie. How are we going to get Cammie back? My mom is a killer machine. What if—no, I'm not even going to go there. She has to be alive. She _has_ to.

It's 5:42 in the morning. I hadn't realized that mornings could be this bright. The smell of fresh coffee hits my nose the same time my bare feet hit the dark bamboo floors. Bamboo because it's better for the environment and dark flooring because my friends are always over, and we leave food stains everywhere, Cammie said. My heart chokes when I think of her. I turn the corner and am surprised to see everyone sitting at the table. Everyone except for me. And Joe. And Rachel. And Townsend. And Abby. Where were they? The question lingered in my mind but I ended up asking a different question.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"Zach, you needed the sleep more than we did." Macey replied through her newly glossed lips. I noticed she looked better than she did a few hours ago. That couldn't of been the result of a few hours' sleep. Must be that makeup stuff that Cammie calls 'A miracle in a bag' even though I tell her so many times she doesn't need it.

"I don't need it. I'd rather spend my time doing something productive."

"Well, you're about to. While we were sleeping, them four worked like machines and we're leaving in 32 hours." Macey said. I got cover folders thrown at my head. "Ouch Liz, gotta work on that aim." Liz looks down sheepishly and mumbles a quiet 'sorry'.

"Why 36 hours?" I ask.

"Solomon and Townsend said we've been eating too much packaged goods and coffee. Not good for us. We're going in for a cleansing in a few minutes, courtesy of Jonas and Liz, then we're hitting up the gym. I can't wait to punch some things!" Bex mimicked some new moves and smashed the fiber muffin on her plate by accident. "Oops." She was not sorry at all as she picked up the disoriented piece of bread.

"So why are we drinking coffee." Macey rolls her eyes and I'm lost in confusion.

"What."

"_We're_ not drinking coffee. It's water, see?" She holds up a cup full of clear liquid and gestures to all the other cups on the table. "Just in case I need to refresh your memory, coffee is a dark…" her voice zones out and I hear the voice of Joe Solomon telling me to _notice things_. I notice that someone's using Cammie's cup that she always uses. I can tell by the ripple in the glass. She bought it because she felt bad for it. I notice the blown up picture of the motion shot of the Gallagher Academy graduating class of 2013, standing in the ruins of the school with their hats in the air and unstressed smiles. I notice the wedding picture of all our friends and family, jammed together in one angle. Confetti still falling. Champagne glasses raised. We were happy.

"Zaaaach?" I tear my eyes from the picture and look at the direction of the sound. Macey. She looked…worried.

"I'm fine." I say, before she asks the question. I hated that question. I grab a fiber muffin and walk out of the room saying "See you in the gym" as I leave.

Sweat falls down my face in rivers and my t-shirt clings to my body. Uncomfortable. The sound of grunting, kicking and yelling fills the spacious gym in my house. I'm imagining that my punching bag is Catherine. No mother of mine. Stupid. Die for all I care. I don't need you. The punches got harder. The door slams and I ignore it. My friend's voices tangle with each other.

"Zach, you need to drink this" Bex's voice. I turn my head sideways and before I know it, I'm on the floor with bitter liquid being forced down my mouth. The last drop goes down and I roll to the side, away from Bex. I glare at her and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

"I would've drank that, you know."

"Just in case, Zachary!" She says with a smile. "We all know how resistant you are to doing things our way!" I push myself up and go back to my punching bag.

"Whatever."

"Zach—" I cut her off.

"Just stop okay. Go practice or something. I'm fine."

"You should know at least…"

"I assure you, I don't. Unless it has to do with Cammie, I don't want to know."

We've been at it for about 20 minutes when I start to feel sick. Bile rises to my mouth but I swallow it back down. There is no way I'm skipping training. After repeating that process 7 times, I can't hold it anymore. I run to the nearest garbage can and hurl, feeling like my intestines were coming out with it. I grab my water bottle to rinse out my mouth with it but round two just came up and interrupted the process.

"Oh sick. Zachary drank more coffee and ate more bread than we did."

"Shut it, Newman." I saw weakly. As I finish that sentence, the click clacking of…pairs of 5 inch and 3½ inch high heels, leather dress shoes and runners. invade my ears. Rachel, Abby, Joe and Dad. I smother my face with a towel and try to make it look like I wasn't just throwing up.

"Well that worked." Joe states as he runs his trained eyes over my pale face. He looks to the others. "How about you guys?"

"Yeah, but not as bad as him." Nick responds and jabs my cheek with his pointer finger. "Take a shower after, man. You smell." I slowly turned my head and gave him the best glare I had. The corners of my mouth twitched as I remembered Cammie's famous Morgan glare. He takes a step back. Nice to know that even in my worst state, I can scare off the guy I've been friends with for 10½ years.

"Okay, so we're flying tomorrow. Use the covers Macey prepared for you. We took your original plan and tweaked it. Only look at it in the safe room. Together. Do not speak of this outside of the safe room. Practice lots of combat. Abby and Townsend will oversee that. Rachel will make preparations and I will run through some quick review on coveops. Understand?" A chorus of yes sir's and understood's go back to him and he answers with a quick nod. Rachel and Joe walk out of the room and we stand there like spies in training again.

"I want you to work on upper body combat today. I don't care who has a black eye. Just get it done. And later today, I'll review shooting with you. I know Joe and Rachel don't agree with it but Abby and I feel like you will need it. These are Circle agents who will do absolutely anything to get rid of you. The top CIA agents of this generation. Get yourself killed and the Circle may as well be never taken down. You won't let that happen, right?"

"Obviously not." I say boldly with my arms crossed. Dad nods in my direction and something fills Abby's eyes. Love?

"Get to work then. I want Zachary against Rebecca first." Of course they put the strongest together first. Bex doesn't scowl at the use of her full name and neither do I. They have our respect and if they wish to call us by our full name sometimes, they can. They walk over to the bench and watch us get into combat position. I figure that they won't let us go until we prove we've got some serious defense and power, so I decide to anger up feisty Bex over here.

"Scared, Rebecca?" She scowls. There we go.

"Don't. Call me Rebecca!" On the last syllable, she lunges over and tackles me. I sidestep quickly and knee her in her stomach and she lands on her back. I go to turn her over and she grabs my wrist and flips me. Why did I do that? Stupid. I stand up quickly and a punch to her face and she falls over. In one swift motion, I sweep my leg under hers and twist us so my body locks hers. I take her shoulders and she tenses under me. Something triggers in my mind and I don't respond quickly and she gets up upper hand again and this time, I let her punch me in the face. My head feels dizzy and my surroundings are suddenly blurry, maybe I let a tear slip out, but I'm too far gone to remember.

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**A/N: Whatdya think? Tell me your thoughts! Again, filler chapter, not my best, I'm trying to improve! R&amp;R to keep the story going! -J**


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